Railway-gate operator.



J. LA FIELEO.

RAILWAY GATE` OPERATOR.

APPLICATION man nc.29,19 15.

Patented Jan` 2 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.'

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J. LA FIELEO.

RAILWAY GATE OPERATOR.

APPLICATION man DEc.29. 1915.

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1. LA FIELEO.

RAILWAY GATE OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED use zs. I9I5.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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JOHN LA rIELEo, or rrrrsnne, KANSAS, AssIGNon or Two-.rrrrris To l.,T. A.roLLEY,

0F NOWATA, OKLAHOMA.

RAILWAY-GATE OPERATOR.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application led December 29,- 1915. Serial No. 69,2731.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN 'LA FrELno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Gate yOperators, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in railway'gate apparatus and has particular application to train controlled gate mechanism. v 4

'In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a combination railway crossing gate and cattle guard mechanism wherein the cattle guard will be normally held across the track and the crossing gate held in open position and wherein the cattle guards may be swung to open position and the crossing gate to closed position simultaneously by a car or train when such car or train approaches the crossing, :and restored to normal position automatically by thercar or train as the latter leaves the vicinity of the gates. f

It is also my purpose torprovide apparatus of the class described which will operate eiciently and effectively under all conditions and whereby a signal lamp will be 'illuminated and an audible signal sounded when the crossing gatesare closed, thereby notifying pedestrians and the drivers of vehicles approaching the Vcrossing of the condition of the gates.

With the'above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claim.l v 1 In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a top plan view showing the arrangement of the road gates and cattle gates and `controlling devices therefor. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of theV controlling devices. Fig. 3 is a side elevation yof the gates showing the relative posi? tions thereof. Fig. 4: is a horizontal .sectional view on the line 4--4' of Fig. 3. Fig.

5 is a similarview on the line 5-.5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View through the roadway showing the connections between the cattle gates. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a detail of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a trackway and-2 indicates a roadway intersecting the trackway l. VAr-V ranged upon the trackway l at the opposite sides of the roadway 2 are cattle guards A and B respectively. In the present instance, each cattle guard comprises uprights 3, 3 arranged upon opposite sidesofthe track rails and suitably secured in the earth and intersecting the upper ends of the uprights 3, 3 is a horizontal bar 4L. The uprights are of a height greater than the height of the train so that the bar 4 will be disposed `in a plane above the path of travel of the tra-in, thereby enabling the trainA to pass under the bar. Arranged between the uprights 3 adjacent to such uprights are shafts 1 .may be transmitted from one shaft to the other to swing the gates to open and closed positions simultaneously. Also fixed to each shaft 5 adjacent to the vlower end thereof is .an arm 9'vprojecting` outwardly from the shaftV atan angle thereto. i j

Arranged upon kthe trackway in.I advance of the cattle guard Aare trips C and Drespectively, while disposed in advance of the cattle guard are trips E and F.v The trip D is arranged-a suitable distance in advance of the trip C, while the trip E, which .corresponds to the trip C, is disposed an appropriate distance in advance of the trip F, the trip F corresponding to the trip D. In the present instance, each trip comprises a casing 10 sunk in the earth adjacent to the tread side of one line of rails and having the upper end thereof open. Mounted within this casing 10 is a block 11 and interposed between the lower side of the block and the bottom wall of the casing are coiled expansion springs 12 that act to hold the block normally at the upper end of the casing. Secured to the upper surface of the block 11 and projecting upwardly therefrom are short posts 13 terminating in a plane corresponding to the plane of the Y rail tread and secured to the upper ends of the posts 13 is a curved shoe 14 adapted to be engaged by the flanges of the wheels to depress the block 11 against the action of the springs 12.

The trips C and F are arranged adjacent to one line of rails, while the trips D and E aredisposed adjacent to the other line of rails and the blocks 11 of the trips C and F are connected respectively with the corresponding arms 9 of the cattle guard gates A and B through the medium of cables 15, while the blocks of the trips D and E are connected to the remaining arms 9 of the gates A and B respectively through the medium of cables 16. The arms 9 connected to the trips C and F are also connected to each other through the medium of a cable 17, while the other arms 9 connected to the trips D and E are interconnected by means of a cable 18. Arranged at opposite sides of the trackway adjacent to one edge of the roadway are vertical shafts 19 journaled in vertically alining bearings carried by suitable supports and secured to each shaft 19 is a road gate 2O normally lying parallel with the roadway and capable of movement across the roadway to close the latter. Cn the lower ends of the respective shafts 19 are pulleys 21 and trained over these pulleys 21 is an endless crossed belt 22 whereby motion may be transmitted from one shaft to the other to open and close the gates simultaneously. Also secured to each shaft 19 adjacent to the lower end thereof is an outwardly projecting arm. 23 and the outer end of the arm 23 is connected with one end of a short cable 24, while the remaining end of such cable is trained over a guide roller 25 and secured to the adjacent cable 17 or 18. Also connected with the outer end of each arm 23 is a cable 26 trained over a guide roller 27 arranged behind the arm 23 and a guide roller 28 arranged in advance of the arm 23 and the cables 26 are connected with the cables 17 and 18 respectively.

Normally, the gates of the cattle guards A and B are closed and the gates 20 open so that traliic upon the roadway may cross the track and cattle traversing the roadway prevented from traveling along the track.

tercronnected through the medium of the l crossed'belts and the cables 17 and 18, all of such shafts are rotated simultaneously to open the cattle guards. In the movement of the cables 17 and 18 to open the cattle guards, the cables 24 are pulled with the effect to swing the arms 23 and rotate the shaft 19 to move the gates 20 across the roadway. After the. train has passed the crossing, such train engages one or the other of the trips D, F, according to the direction of travel of the train, thereby pulling the cables 16 or 15 as the case may be to rotate theshafts in the opposite .direction to close the cattle guards and in the movement of the cables 17 and 18 under the action of the trip D or F, the cables 26 are pulled androtate the shafts 19 in the opposite direction to move the gates 20 to open position.

In the'present instance, the lower end portion of each shaft 5 and 19 is formed with flat surfaces 29 and bearing upon these flat surfaces is a spring actuated bolt'30 that acts to hold the shafts in operated position, the bolts riding over the flat surfaces of the shafts in the rotation thereof and bearing against such surfaces to maintain the shafts stationary. Each road gate 20 carries a visual signal 31 and an audible signal 32 and these signals are connected in an electric circuit 33 including a suitable source of electrical energy las a battery 34 and a circuit closer 35 under the control of the gate 20 and adapted to be closed when the gate is moved across the road and to be opened when the gate is moved to a position parallel with the roadway.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claim and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

In railway cattle guard and roadway apparatus, cattle guards disposed at opposite sides of the roadway and projecting nor- Inallyv across the trackway, road gates arranged at opposite sides of the trackway at one edge of the roadway and normally lying "parallel with the roadway and capable of Vmovement across the roadway, shafts carrying said guards and gates, pulleys on the to hold the shafts against accidental 'movelower ends of said shafts, ropes trained over ment. p 10 said pulleys whereby al1 of said gates may In testimony whereof I aliiX my signature be operated simultaneously, train operated in presence of two witnesses.

5 trip mechanism for operating said gates, JOHN LA FIELEO.

the lower ends of certain of said Vshafts be- Witnesses: ing squared, and spring actuated bolts en- D. N. SMITH, gaging the squared portions of said shafts J. M. WILSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, -Washington, D C. 

